CAMDEN, N.J., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire -- Oct. 17 is the "Sweetest Day" of the year. (A)
The Sweetest Day, according to tradition, is a day to express thoughtfulness and affection with gifts that come from the heart.
This year, Godiva Chocolatier celebrates the origins of Sweetest Day with a special donation of chocolates. The gifts, valued at 2 percent of all sales in Godiva Boutiques nationwide from Oct. 4-17, 1992, will be distributed to children in hospitals around the country.
Sweetest Day began in 1921 when Herbert Kingston of Cleveland imagined a day devoted to remembering the underprivileged with the unexpected pleasures of delicious chocolates. The business community and the press fell in love with the idea and arranged to send every needy individual in the Cleveland area a large box of chocolates. Even the notorious vamp, actress Theda Bara, got on the bandwagon, distributing chocolates to orphans, the sick and the aged. But from the start, Sweetest Day was also a time to lavish loved ones with sweet regard.
This holiday has remained mainly a Midwestern observance where in addition to gifts of candy and flowers, greeting cards are exchanged between loved ones. "In today's fast-paced world, it's nice to take a step back and observe a tradition of a gentler time," notes Katherine Green, vice president and general manager-Godiva Retail. Green hopes to expand the Sweetest Day observance across the country.
Godiva's Sweetest Day program will be supported by advertising and in-store promotions nationally.
(A) Source: Chase's Annual Events.
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CONTACT: Marsha Cade of Godiva Chocolatier, 609-342-3883 CO: GODIVA CHOCOLATIER IN: REA ST: NJ -- PHFNS1 -- X247 09/30/92

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